BioKIDS - Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species, Vanessa cardui: INFORMATION Skip directly to main content . Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species Vanessa cardui What do they look like? Adults of Vanessa cardui are about 5.1 to 7.3 cm in length. The upper side of their wings are orange-brown. The front wings have a white bar, and the rear wings have a row of five tiny black dots. The underside of their wings have brown, black,and gray patterns with tiny spots. Eggs of the Painted Lady appear to be pale green in color. Caterpillars are grayish brown and darker at the ends. They have a yellow stripe running down the back of their body, and spikes along the back and sides of their body. Pupae can be a variety of colors including a metallic green, brown, or bluish-white. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Brian, 1990 ; Pyle, 1981 ) Other Physical Features 2.52 in Where do they live? Painted ladies ( Vanessa cardui ) are one of the most widely distributed species of butterfly.

They can be found on every continent in the world except Antarctica and Australia. The territory size of the Painted Lady is large enough to cover all of North America, south to Panama. They are also in Asia, Africa, and Europe. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Orsak, 1977 ; Painter, 2013 ) Biogeographic Regions native What kind of habitat do they need? Painted Ladies live in areas with wide open areas of plants such as fields and meadows. They can also be found in suburban, agricultural, swamp, bog, marsh, tundra, taiga, desert or dune, chaparral, forest, rainforest, scrub forest, and mountain habitats as well. These butterflies can adjust to living in pretty much any habitat. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Orsak, 1977 ; Painter, 2013 ) These animals are found in the following types of habitat riparian How do they grow? Painted Lady butterflies go through complete metamorphosis, and have the life stages of egg, larva (also known as caterpillars), pupa, and adult.

Females lay eggs on a plant, which the caterpillars will eat once they hatch. The caterpillars also build tents out of silk on the plant. They shed their skin several time over the next few weeks before becoming pupae. As a pupa, the caterpillar forms a cocoon, and its body shape will completely change during this time. Once pupation is complete, it emerges as an adult butterfly. The time of development from egg to adult depends on where they are in the world. Those in warmer, tropical areas will develop in 33 to 44 days. In cooler climates, development can take more than 60 days. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Orsak, 1977 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Development - Life Cycle metamorphosis How do they reproduce? Painted lady males have territories that they defend from other males. When a female crosses paths with a male, the male will then court the female in hopes that she will mate with him. Males will mate with multiple females during their lives.

( Painter, 2013 ; Saul, 1994 ) Mating System polygynous Painted ladies will mate year round in warm climates, but do not mate during the winter in cooler places. Females will lay about 500 eggs, each egg singly laid on a plant that the caterpillar will eat when it hatches. Both male and females are able to mate 5 to 7 days after emerging from their cocoons. Mating and reproduction also take place throughout the mass migrations that this species undertakes, producing multiple generations throughout the migration. In laboratories, scientists have seen up to 8 generations in a year. ( Painter, 2013 ; Saul, 1994 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Key Reproductive Features How often does reproduction occur? Painted ladies breed year round, climate permitting. Breeding season Mating takes place year round, except in cooler areas where it stops in the fall and winter. Average eggs per season Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 5 to 7 days female How long do they live? Painted ladies live about a year, from egg to death.

Adults live for about 10 to 24 days after emerging from their cocoons. ( Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Average lifespan 1 years How do they behave? Every year, painted lady butterflies make huge migrations from Africa to Europe and back again. They also do this in North America, from Mexico to northern United States and Canada and back again. The migrations can be up to 15000 km long. In the spring, they begin moving north as the temperatures become too warm in Africa or Mexico. Along the way, they mate and reproduce. Since most adult butterflies do not live more than a month, it is not just one generation of butterfly that makes this migration. Instead, it is their offspring and their offsprings' offspring that make the journey. Millions of butterflies can make this journey, though some years there are far less. They reach the northern parts of Europe and North America during the summer, when temperatures are just right for the butterflies. They continue to reproduce, and then they start flying back south in late summer and fall, when temperatures become too cold in the north.

( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Key Behaviors spiders, Araneae What roles do they have in the ecosystem? Painted ladies pollinate the plants and flowers in their habitat. Painted ladies have been recorded feeding from more than 100 plant species, so they can have a big effect on many plant species. Painted ladies are also a part of the food web, since they are eaten by birds, bats and other insects. They can also be used by a large variety of parasites. The parasites attack both the caterpillars and the pupae, using the bodies of the painted ladies for their own development. These parasites include tachinid flies (Exorista segregata and Sturmia bella ), ichneumonid wasps ( Thyrateles camelinus , Cotesia vanessae , Cotesia vestalis and Dolichogenidea sicaria), and chalcid wasps ( Pteromalus puparum ).

( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2012 ) Ecosystem Impact Species (or larger taxonomic groups) used as hosts by this species thistles, Asteraceae chalcid wasp, Pteromalus puparum Do they cause problems? Caterpillars of this species sometimes eat beans, artichokes, and mint. These are plants that humans use, so it causes problems when the caterpillars eat the plants and destroy them. ( Orsak, 1977 ) Ways that these animals might be a problem for humans crop pest How do they interact with us? Painted lady butterflies pollinate plants when they feed on the nectar. Some of these plants may be plants that humans use, so by pollinating them, the butterflies help the plants reproduce, which is helpful to humans. Butterflies are also an important species to study, since changes in butterfly populations can show that there are changes in the ecosystem. If the number of butterflies decreases, scientists will know to look for bad changes in the ecosystem, such as pollution or habitat loss.

( Painter, 2013 ) Ways that people benefit from these animals: pollinates crops ADW: Vanessa cardui: INFORMATION Vanessa cardui References Geographic Range Painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) are one of the most widely distributed species of butterfly, and can be found on all continents except Antarctica and Australia. They live in most biogeographic regions, including Nearctic, Palearctic, Neotropical, Ethiopian, Oriental, and Oceanic Islands. The territory size of the Painted Lady is vast enough to cover all of North America, south to Panama, and are also naturalized in Asia, Africa, and Europe. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Orsak, 1977 ; Painter, 2013 ) Biogeographic Regions native Habitat Painted Ladies live in areas with wide open areas of vegetation such as fields and meadows. However, they can be found in suburban, agricultural, swamp, bog, marsh, tundra, taiga, desert or dune, chaparral, forest, rainforest, scrub forest, and mountain habitats as well. Vanessa cardui is extremely adaptable and thus can prosper in its niche in any of these environments.

Painted Ladies can be found at all elevations during migration but are usually found at elevations as low as sea level year round, even during non-migratory time. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Orsak, 1977 ; Painter, 2013 ) Habitat Regions riparian Physical Description Adults of Vanessa cardui are about 5.1 to 7.3 cm in length. The upper side of their wings are orange-brown with darker wing bases. Forewings have a white bar, and the rear wings have a row of five tiny black dots. The underside of their wings have brown, black,and gray patterns with tiny submarginal eyespots. Eggs of the Painted Lady appear to be pale green in color, with 14 to 19 vertical ribs. Larvae are grayish brown and darker at the ends. They have a yellow stripe running down the back of their body, and spikes follow the curve of the back and sides of their body. Pupae can be a variety of colors including a metallic green, brown, or bluish-white.

( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Brian, 1990 ; Pyle, 1981 ) Other Physical Features 2.52 in Development Vanessa cardui is holometabolous. Females lay eggs on a host plant, such as those from the Compositae family, that will serve as a food source. After hatching, the larvae feed continuously and construct silken tents on the host plant. They molt several times over the next few weeks before moving on to the next stage in metamorphosis. As a pupae, it forms a cocoon, and following the completion of pupation, it emerges as an adult butterfly. Development of the Painted Lady is dependent on the climate; faster development occurs in warmer climates. In subtropical areas, completion of development can take 33 to 44 days. In cooler climates, development can take upwards of 60 days.

( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Orsak, 1977 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Development - Life Cycle metamorphosis Reproduction Vanessa cardui males are territorial and will wait for a female to cross paths with them to court. The Painted Lady males will mate with multiple females in a season to ensure as much progeny as possible. ( Painter, 2013 ; Saul, 1994 ) Mating System polygynous Painted ladies will mate year round in warm climates but reproductive behavior stops in the fall of temperate areas. In laboratory settings, scientists have observed up to 8 generations in a year. Females will lay about 500 eggs, each singly laid on a host plant. Offspring are independent of their mother after being laid. Both male and females become sexually mature five to seven days after emerging from their cocoons. Mating and reproduction also take place throughout their mass migrations, producing multiple generations undertaking the migration.

( Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ; Painter, 2013 ; Saul, 1994 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Key Reproductive Features Painted ladies breed year round, climate permitting. Breeding season Mating takes place year round, except in cooler areas where it stops in the fall and winter. Average eggs per season Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female) 5 to 7 days Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male) 5 to 7 days Females provide provisioning in eggs, and also lay their eggs on host plants, providing the larvae with a food source upon hatching. Vanessa cardui adults provide no further care. ( Painter, 2013 ; Saul, 1994 ) Parental Investment female Lifespan/Longevity The lifespan of Vanessa cardui is short, averaging about a year from egg to death. In laboratory conditions, adults live for about 10 to 24 days after pupation.

( Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Average lifespan 1 years Behavior Each year, Vanessa cardui makes huge, multi-generational, mass migrations up to 15000 km long in the Palearctic. In the spring, these butterflies move northward from their overwintering places in Africa, through the Mediterranean, to much of the European continent, and they then migrate back in the fall. Vanessa cardui uses favorable high altitude winds to move rapidly across the continents. Millions of butterflies partake in these migrations, though the numbers fluctuate every year. The migration allows these butterfly populations to take advantage of the changes in resources as the seasons change, moving north in the summer to avoid the hot temperatures in Africa, and moving south again to avoid the cold winters of northern Europe. This pattern is similarly reflected in the United States, where V. cardui migrates from Mexico to the northern United States and Canada. Vanessa cardui mates along the way, quickly producing more generations. Populations begin to migrate northwards in March and April, and produce local generations as soon as May and June along the way. The migrants do not make it to the northern parts of Europe til late May and June.

The Painted Ladies continue to breed, and by late August they are heading south again. They also stop to breed along the return migration, producing more generations in September and October. Breeding is fairly low in the winter. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Key Behaviors Home Range During times of migration, populations of Vanessa cardui can move thousands of kilometers. ( Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Communication and Perception The Painted Lady communicates through physical actions, chemicals, color, and sound. Larvae have limited, poor vision, though they can see red through ultraviolet on the color spectrum. Adults have compound eyes made up of thousand of ommatidia, which allows them to distinguish mates and host plants. ( "Life cycle of a butterfly", 2003 ; Pyle, 1981 ) Communication Channels chemical Food Habits Vanessa cardui is a polyphagous herbivore that has been recorded feeding from more than 100 different plant species.

Adult Painted Ladies prefer nectar from composites 3 to 6 feet high from plants such as aster, cosmos, blazing star, iron weed, joe-pye, red clover, button bush, privet, milkweeds, and thistles. Adults have also been observed consuming honeydew, a byproduct of aphids . Larvae feed on leaves from plants such as cheeseweed, thistles, dwarf nettle, lupine, fiddleneck, and many different members of the daisy family, Compositae. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2013 ) Primary Diet nectar Predation Known predators of Vanessa cardui include birds, bats, ants, wasps, and spiders. Adult Painted Ladies use camouflage and flight to evade predators. The anti-predator adaptations for the larvae have not been determined. ( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ) Anti-predator Adaptations spiders, Araneae Ecosystem Roles Vanessa cardui is a pollinator of the plants and flowers in its habitat.

More than 100 plants have been recorded to act as hosts for Painted Lady larvae, but the most common include thistles, hollyhock, mallow, milkweed, aster, and a variety of legumes. These plants are also a common source of nectar for the Painted Lady adults. The plants share a mutualistic relationship with the butterflies by offering their fragrances and nectar in exchange for assisting in pollination. Vanessa cardui is a key element in the food chain, serving as prey for birds, bats and other insects. They can also be used as hosts by a large variety of parasites and parasitoids that attack both the larval and pupal stages, including tachinid flies (Exorista segregata and Sturmia bella ), ichneumonid wasps ( Thyrateles camelinus , Cotesia vanessae , Cotesia vestalis and Dolichogenidea sicaria), and chalcid wasps ( Pteromalus puparum ).

( "Attributes of Vanessa cardui", 2013 ; Stefanescu, et al., 2012 ) Ecosystem Impact chalcid wasp, Pteromalus puparum Economic Importance for Humans: Positive Vanessa cardui assists with pollination; with pollination comes more plants and thus more oxygen. The presence of butterflies also indicates a healthy environment, so changes in populations can lead to exploration and research of habitats and ecosystems by scientists. ( Painter, 2013 ) Positive Impacts pollinates crops Economic Importance for Humans: Negative The larvae are known to consume crops of beans, artichokes, and mint which are all food sources to humans. ( Orsak, 1977 ) Negative Impacts No special status Contributors Rachel Kreiger (author), Bridgewater College, Cody Noblitt (author), Bridgewater College, Tamara Johnstone-Yellin (editor), Bridgewater College, Angela Miner (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff. Glossary living in sub-Saharan Africa (south of 30 degrees north) and Madagascar. Nearctic living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World.

This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico. Neotropical living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America. Palearctic living in the northern part of the Old World. In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa. acoustic living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture. bilateral symmetry having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria. bog a wetland area rich in accumulated plant material and with acidic soils surrounding a body of open water. Bogs have a flora dominated by sedges, heaths, and sphagnum. chaparral Found in coastal areas between 30 and 40 degrees latitude, in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Vegetation is dominated by stands of dense, spiny shrubs with tough (hard or waxy) evergreen leaves. May be maintained by periodic fire. In South America it includes the scrub ecotone between forest and paramo.

chemical uses smells or other chemicals to communicate cryptic having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect. desert or dunes in deserts low (less than 30 cm per year) and unpredictable rainfall results in landscapes dominated by plants and animals adapted to aridity. Vegetation is typically sparse, though spectacular blooms may occur following rain. Deserts can be cold or warm and daily temperates typically fluctuate. In dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are dry. This is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants. In dunes near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil. Salt limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots. diurnal active during the day, 2. lasting for one day. ectothermic animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature fertilization union of egg and spermatozoan forest forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality. herbivore An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.

heterothermic having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature. internal fertilization fertilization takes place within the female's body iteroparous offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes). marsh marshes are wetland areas often dominated by grasses and reeds. metamorphosis A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis. migratory makes seasonal movements between breeding and wintering grounds motile having the capacity to move from one place to another. mountains This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.

native range the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic. nectarivore an animal that mainly eats nectar from flowers oceanic islands islands that are not part of continental shelf areas, they are not, and have never been, connected to a continental land mass, most typically these are volcanic islands. oriental found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia. oviparous reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body. polygynous having more than one female as a mate at one time rainforest rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal. riparian Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream). scrub forest scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons. sexual reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female suburban living in residential areas on the outskirts of large cities or towns.

swamp a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water, often dominated by woody vegetation. taiga Coniferous or boreal forest, located in a band across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. This terrestrial biome also occurs at high elevations. Long, cold winters and short, wet summers. Few species of trees are present; these are primarily conifers that grow in dense stands with little undergrowth. Some deciduous trees also may be present. temperate that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle). terrestrial Living on the ground. tropical the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south. tropical savanna and grassland A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.

savanna A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome. temperate grassland A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands. tundra A terrestrial biome with low, shrubby or mat-like vegetation found at extremely high latitudes or elevations, near the limit of plant growth. Soils usually subject to permafrost. Plant diversity is typically low and the growing season is short. urban living in cities and large towns, landscapes dominated by human structures and activity. visual Habits and Traits of the Painted Lady Butterfly By Debbie Hadley Updated June 20, 2016. The painted lady inhabits backyards and meadows throughout most of the world. Schoolchildren often recognize this butterfly, as raising these butterflies is a popular science activity in elementary classrooms. Description: The aptly named painted lady wears splashes and dots of colors on her wings.

The adult butterfly's wings are orange and brown on the upper side. The leading edge of the forewing appears black with a prominent white bar and smaller white spots. The underside of the wings is markedly duller, in shades of brown and gray. When the butterfly sits at rest with wings folded together, four small eyespots are noticeable on the hindwing. Painted ladies reach 5-6 centimeters in width, smaller than some other brush-footed butterflies like the monarchs . The painted lady caterpillars are more difficult to identify, since their appearance changes with each instar . The early instars appear worm-like, with light gray bodies and a darker, bulbous head. continue reading below our video Test Your General Science Knowledge As they mature, the larvae develop noticeable spines, with a dark body mottled with white and orange markings. The final instar retains the spines, but has a lighter color. The first few instars live in a silken web on a leaf of the host plant. Vanessa cardui is an irruptive migrant, a species that occasionally migrates without regard to geography or season. The painted lady lives year-round in the tropics; in cooler climates, you may see them in spring and summer.

Some years, when southern populations reach large numbers or weather conditions are right, painted ladies will migrate north and expand their range temporarily. These migrations sometimes occur in phenomenal numbers, filling the skies with butterflies. The adults that reach the colder areas will not survive the winter, however. Painted ladies rarely migrate south. Classification: Species - Vanessa cardui Diet: The adult painted lady nectars on many plants, especially the composite flowers of the Asteraceae plant family. Favored nectar sources include thistle, aster, cosmos, blazing star, ironweed, and joe-pye weed . Painted lady caterpillars feed on a variety of host plants, particularly thistle, mallow, and hollyhock. Life Cycle: Painted lady butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Egg - Mint green, barrel-shaped eggs are laid singly on the leaves of host plants , and hatch in 3-5 days. Larva - The caterpillar has five instars over 12-18 days. Pupa - The chrysalis stage lasts about 10 days. Adult - Butterflies live for just two weeks.

Special Adaptations and Defenses: The painted lady's mottled colors look much like military camouflage, and provide effective cover from potential predators. The small caterpillars hide in their silk nests. Habitat: The painted lady inhabits open meadows and fields, disturbed areas and roadsides, and generally any sunny place that provides appropriate nectar and host plants. Range: Vanessa cardui lives on all continents except Australia and Antarctica, and is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world. The painted lady is sometimes called the cosmopolite or cosmopolitan because of this wide distribution. Other Common Names: Butterfly Buffet: The Feeding Preferences of Painted Ladies Butterfly Buffet: The Feeding Preferences of Painted Ladies Butterfly Buffet: The Feeding Preferences of Painted Ladies INTRODUCTION Figure 1: Anatomy of an Adult Butterfly Can you imagine a world without butterflies? Although butterflies are insects, most people think they are beautiful, peaceful creatures and enjoy them as part of nature. They are also helpful as pollinators for plants and trees. But currently, seventeen species of butterflies are endangered, two are threatened and three are extinct (Prairie Frontier 2009).

I've always liked butterflies, but I really became interested when I got a habitat as a gift and raised five caterpillars. I became even more fascinated after a field trip to a butterfly exhibit. I really enjoyed learning about butterflies so I decided to study them, with the hopes of one day doing a field conservation project to help them. Butterflies are insects and belong to two groups: true butterflies and skippers. True butterflies (Papilionoidea) are split into many families. This project focuses on the species of butterfly called Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui ), which belongs to the brush-foot family (Nymphalidae) (Schappert 2000). The Painted Lady is also nicknamed the "Cosmopolitan" butterfly because it is the most widespread butterfly in the world (eNature FieldGuides 2009). They live year-round in warm areas, which is important because this project takes place in Arizona in December. Painted Ladies go through a complete metamorphosis of four stages: the egg or ovum, the caterpillar or larva, the chrysalis or pupa, and the adult or imago (Schaffer 1999).

It takes 7 to 10 days as a caterpillar and 9 to 14 days as a chrysalis before the butterfly emerges (Insect Lore, 2009). As seen in Figure 1, adult butterflies have antennae, compound eyes, a proboscis, six legs, a hard exoskeleton, a pair of forewings and hindwings, and a three-section body (Schappert 2000). I believe that the anatomy of the butterfly plays a role in which flowers attract them for feeding. The head has many sensors and on the bottom part of the head is the proboscis, which is like a skinny straw that the butterfly uses to reach down into a flower to drink the nectar. The compound eye is made up of thousands of eyes that help the butterfly see at wide angles (Prairie Frontier 2009). Butterflies can see a large spectrum of color, including ultraviolet light, and Painted Ladies have four types of color receptors so they can see patterns in flowers that we can't see (Stokes 1991).

Because of its eyesight, a butterfly may be attracted to a particular color flower more than another color, or see the details in a flower's structure that attract it and cause it to show a preference for feeding on that flower. The characteristics of flowers may also play a role in how they attract a butterfly for feeding. The flower has to be able to support the weight of the butterfly, and its legs have to be able to latch on to sit on the flower because butterflies don't hover while they feed (Boriqua 2009, Roth 2001). The shape of the flower or its blossom arrangement may also be a factor in attracting butterflies for feeding. Clustered flowers and flowers with spikes that have small, closely packed blooms may attract butterflies because they offer more sips of nectar in one visit. Daisy-type flowers might attract butterflies in this same way because the "button" in the center is really a group of miniature petal-less flowers packed close together (Roth 2001). But some large single flowers will attract butterflies too, although they have a limited amount of nectar in one flower.

"Something important to think about is the length of the tube of the flower because the butterfly has to be able to reach its proboscis inside to drink the nectar" (Boriqua 2009). Another important fact affecting a butterfly's behavior is that they are cold-blooded so they need warmth to be active, usually above 50°F. When the Sun shines, the butterfly spreads its wings to bask and gain energy. They are more active, including feeding, earlier in the day when it is warmer and sunnier, and at nighttime or on cloudy days they rest with their wings folded to conserve energy (Kracht 2009, Ortho 2001). I thought of my project idea, did some reading research and then conducted interviews with specialists from the butterfly pavilion at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Arizona. The research question I asked is, Do Painted Lady butterflies have a preference for what flowers they feed on? My hypothesis was: Given a choice of flowers to feed on, the Painted Lady butterflies will display a preference for certain flowers because of the color or the structure of the flower, rather than feeding randomly. The dependent variable was the number of times a butterfly feeds on a flower.

The two independent variables studied were flower color and flower structure. There were several constant variables: (1) type of butterfly (Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui ); (2) age of the butterfly (less than two weeks old); (3) habitat (size, materials, setup, feeding apparatus); (4) testing conditions (outdoor temperature above 50°F, sunlight); (5) length of the feeding time (three hours); (6) flowers (naturally grown, not cut from a florist). The design for this project included 12 testing subjects (Painted Lady butterflies) split evenly into three groups. Each group participated in three experimental trials for each independent variable (color and structure), which were conducted over six days, with three hours of data collection each day. This was for a total of 54 hours of data collection spread over 18 days. MATERIALS Four different colors of Lantana were used to test for color preference (top row). Four different types of flowers were used to test for structure preference (bottom row).

6 Butterfly Garden habitats (ordered from Insect Lore) 3 sets of Painted Lady caterpillar cultures (ordered from Insect Lore) Figure 2: Caterpillars in growing medium (left) Caterpillars ready for the chrysalis stage (right) sugar water solution (3 teaspooons sugar dissolved in 1 cup of water); kept refrigerated plastic lids or paper plates, and paper towels as needed 8 strips of wood (71/2 inches by 3/8 inch by 3/8 inch) 16 pieces of Styrofoam (11/2 inches by 11/2 inches by 2 inches) live plants in bloom, in the garden or in pots: a) flowering lantana in four different colors (purple, red, yellow, white) b) flowers in the same color family of purple: sage (spiky flower), argyranthemum (a daisy- like flower), lantana (a clustered flower) and petunia (a large single flower) PROCEDURES Experimental Setup: Figure 3: Butterfly chrysalises Order and receive by mail from Insect Lore six Butterfly Garden habitats (one for a growing habitat, four for testing

, and one for a resting habitat) and three live caterpillar cultures.

Set up habitats indoors and raise caterpillars following the instructions (Insect Lore, 2009). Raise caterpillars in culture cups (Figure 2). After all the caterpillars in a cup get into their chrysalises, pin the paper disk to which they are attached to the inside of the growing habitat (Figure 3). Build an apparatus to hold flowers for feeding. Cut wood and Styrofoam according to the materials list. Construct the apparatus (Figure 4) by attaching a foam block at each end of a wood strip with the wood positioned toward the top of the foam. Repeat, and this time position the wood toward the bottom of the foam so this wood strip can fit under the other. Position these two wood strips with foam blocks like a cross. Poke two holes in the top of each foam block to hold the flowers. Repeat to make three more flower-holding apparatuses. Experimental Procedure: Figure 4: Flower holding Apparatus One day after the caterpillars hatch from their chrysalises, move four butterflies each into its own testing habitat . These will be the testing subjects for Group I. Leave the others in the growing habitat. All habitats are stored indoors except during testing sessions.

Feed butterflies with the sugar water solution as follows: Wet a paper towel with solution. Crumple the paper towel and place it on a plastic lid or paper plate in the bottom of the habitat. Repeat when paper towel is dry. Important: Butterflies in the growing habitat are fed continuously. Butterflies in the testing habitats are fed with sugar water after testing is completed each day, and the paper towel is removed at 8 p.m. Testing: Check weather.com in the morning. Plan testing to start after 50°F when there is good sunshine. Vary the time to get the best conditions. At the decided time, set up the testing habitats by cutting and attaching flowers (Figure 5) to the feeding apparatuses according to testing schedule (see Figure 6). Observe for three hours and record the feedings on the data collection sheet. Figure 5: The testing habitat with flower holding apparatus Criteria for feedings: A feeding is counted when the butterfly inserts its proboscis into the flower. Separate feedings are counted if the butterfly flies off the flower and then returns to it to feed again. It is not counted as a feeding if the butterfly only lands on the flower but does not eat.

At the end of the three-hour testing session, remove the apparatuses and throw away the flowers. Feed butterflies with sugar water solution, as in Step 2, to be sure they get enough to eat. Testing is complete for the group of four subjects after three trials of both color and structure. Remove butterflies from their habitats after the six days of testing, and place them in the resting habitat if it is too cold to release them outside (temperatures must be greater than 50°F at night). Place four different butterflies into the testing habitats as Group II subjects. Repeat Steps 3-6 and follow the testing schedule. Repeat the same steps for the last four butterflies in Group III. Figure 6: Testing schedule RESULTS The data collections station Data from all trials for Groups I to III testing what color flower butterflies prefer to feed on is in Table 1. Results show that Painted Lady butterflies prefer to feed on purple flowers and like white flowers the least. They fed on purple flowers 45% of the time, red flowers 24%, yellow flowers 22% and white flowers 9% of the time (Graph 1).

Overall, the results show that Painted Lady butterflies do not feed randomly; they have a preference for feeding on purple flowers. Table 2 shows the data from all of the trials for Groups I to III, which tested which flower structure the butterflies prefer to feed on. Results show that Painted Lady butterflies prefer to feed on clustered flowers and like the large single flower the least. They fed on clustered flowers 65% of the time, spiky flowers 20%, daisy-like flowers 10% and the large single flowers 5% of the time, as shown in Graph 2. The results show that Painted Lady butterflies do not feed randomly; they show a preference for feeding on clustered flowers. Butterfly feeding To get extra information about which flowers were the butterflies' favorites, data was also recorded when a butterfly landed on a flower but did not feed at all, and when butterflies stayed to feed on a flower longer than three minutes at a time.

Results in Tables 3-6 show that butterflies most often "landed only, without feeding" on white flowers (22% of the time) compared to purple flowers (1% of the time); and on large single flowers (71% of the time) compared to clustered flowers, which they never landed on without feeding (0%). They fed longer (greater than three minutes) on purple and red flowers (both 6% of the feedings) compared to white flowers (less than 1% of the feedings); and longer on clustered flowers (4% of the feedings) compared to large single flowers, which they never fed on for longer than three minutes (0%). Table 1 Tables 3-6 DISCUSSION The data from this project answers the research question and supports the hypothesis. It shows that given a choice of flowers to feed on, Painted Lady butterflies do display a preference for certain flowers depending on the color or structure of a flower. They prefer to feed on purple flowers (45%) compared to other colors, and prefer clustered flowers (65%) to other structures.

I was not surprised because my background research made me think that a clustered flower is a good choice because it gives a place for the butterfly to land and can support its weight, and also provides many sips of nectar close by to make feeding very efficient. Purple is a favorite color, and this may be because of the butterfly's eyesight. Butterflies can see ultraviolet light, and purple is the wavelength of visible light closest to ultraviolet, and that may be why butterflies are most attracted to purple. Purple may also stand out better against the green leaves of a plant. There was a large difference between these results, and the butterflies feeding on the white flowers 9% of the time and large single flowers only 5%. White is all of the visible colors being reflected, and maybe the butterfly cannot see that color as well and so is not attracted to it. I believe that the butterflies do not like large single flowers as much because they do not offer much nectar in one visit, and it may be hard for the butterfly to reach its proboscis deep inside because it is a bigger flower. Another observation from my data collection was that when a butterfly fed on a flower it liked, it often stayed on that flower longer to feed.

If it was an unpopular flower, it often just landed on the flower without feeding. Butterflies have sensors for tasting on their feet, so when they land on a flower they can decide right away if they like that flower or not. The data for landing only, without feeding, give extra support to show what their feeding preferences were. Purple flowers were a favorite of the butterflies, who landed on them only 1% of the time without feeding, compared to 22% for white flowers. Clustered flowers were a definite favorite, with no occasions in which a butterfly landed without feeding, compared to 71% of the time on the large single flower. They also fed longer on purple flowers and clustered flowers, which shows that they really do prefer these flowers. When the weather got warmer Katelyn released the butterflies. I made many interesting observations during my data collection. At the start of this project, I planned on doing the testing inside because I knew that butterflies need light and warmth to be active. The room would be at a constant warm temperature, and I would have the lights on a schedule.

I thought those would be the best conditions, but I observed that the butterflies were feeding very little or not at all, and mostly rested with their wings closed. I thought that maybe the butterflies need the light and warmth from the Sun to be active and feed. The moment I carried the habitats outside, they opened their wings to bask and soon became active. I also observed changes in their feeding habits depending on the weather; they fed more when it was sunny than when it was cloudy outside. If I could do this experiment again, I would do it in the spring when there are more types of flowers in bloom so I could have a wider selection to test. An idea for a future project would be to use different color flowers or different flowers that fit in the structure categories. It would be interesting to see what the feeding preferences are of a different species of butterfly, and how that might compare to Painted Ladies. I would be especially interested in Monarchs. CONCLUSIONS Painted Lady butterflies display a preference for feeding on certain flowers rather than feeding randomly. Painted Lady butterflies prefer to feed on flowers of a particular color: purple flowers (45%); rather than red (24%), yellow (22%) or white flowers (9%).

Painted Lady butterflies prefer to feed on flowers of a particular structure: clustered flowers (65%) rather than rather than spiky flowers (20%), daisy-like flowers (10%) or large single flowers (5%). Painted Lady butterflies feed more often and for a longer time on flowers that they like, with purple flowers and clustered flowers being preferred. Importance Biodiversity is the variety of all living organisms and the ecosystems that they are part of. It helps provide the basic human needs such as food, shelter, and medicine. It composes ecosystems that maintain oxygen in the air, enrich the soil, purify the water, and regulate climate. (CIEL 2009) Because human society is growing quickly and uses a huge amount of resources, there has been a sharp increase in the loss of biodiversity, so it is important to remember that every living thing on Earth has a part in the circle of life.

Insects are an important part of our world because they have the largest number of species and the largest number of individual organisms; "their combined biomass represents an important food resource for other animals, and they contain much of the raw materials for the energy and nutrients that are cycled through ecosystems" (Schappert 2000). So insects are a very important part of biodiversity. Katelyn with some butterfly friends Studying butterflies is important for general scientific learning. "It also gives important information about ecosystems because we don't completely understand what the role or impact of butterflies might be. Information learned can be helpful to preserve and restore habitats, as well as provide adequate food in migration pathways or exhibits" (Kracht 2009). Because insects have a reputation for causing problems, many people are not concerned about their conservation. Luckily, people are not as unsympathetic about butterfly conservation as they are about other insects, because butterflies need our help. Along with problems like weather, pollution and predators, butterflies are at risk because of habitat loss and ecosystem damage caused mostly by people. Butterflies need a lot of host plants to lay eggs on in order to reproduce well, and they also need flowering nectar plants to feed on.

Without good habitats that provide both of these things, there will not be enough homes for butterflies, which could lead to a decline in their numbers and make them more vulnerable to extinction (Schappert 2000). Putting This Work into Action The Monarch butterfly is facing challenges because of habitat loss, climate change and human development; it is a protected species. This butterfly is unique because it is the only one we know of that makes a two-way migration, like birds do. Monarchs migrate because they are not able to tolerate cold climates during the winter. Monarchs on the East Coast of North America travel to Mexico during the winter, and those in the western U.S. north of the Rocky Mountains travel to California (Lockwood 2007, Nelson 2007). But where do Monarch butterflies that live south of the Rocky Mountains go? And are there ever eastern or western Monarchs that migrate on a different path? It has now been noticed that Monarchs migrate through parts of Arizona along the San Pedro River and through Guadalupe Canyon into Sonora (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 2009).

This may be because of changes in their behavior, away from following their usual migration pathways, or because changes in climate are forcing them to go a different way. But Arizona should prepare to help conserve and protect Monarchs. Arizona has a hot dry climate, and nectar flowers are not always plentiful. Also, Monarchs only lay their eggs in milkweed, so that host plant has to be available to them. Conservation programs should be put in place so that Monarchs have proper habitats to use during their migration. Monarch migrations are considered "endangered biological phenomena" so it is especially important to protect these butterflies as part of biodiversity (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 2009). I believe that projects like this one may help the Monarchs in Arizona by educating people about butterflies in general, their necessary food sources and how to help by planting backyard gardens to provide habitats for butterflies. I know that doing this project helped me decide on the conservation project I want to do: I want to set up a special habitat and get it certified by Monarch Watch as a Monarch waystation. I plan to work through my Girl Scout troop to find a sponsor location, and get volunteers and donations to set this up as my Silver Award service project.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Boriqua, Joan. Interviewed by Katelyn Boisvert. Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Exhibit, Arizona. 11 November 2009. "Butterflies and Wildflowers." Prairie Frontier. Retrieved on 5 December 2009 from "Butterfly Pavilion: Product Instruction Guide." Insect Lore. Retrieved on 24 November 2009 from Kracht, Cristin. Interviewed by Katelyn Boisvert. Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Exhibit, Arizona. 11 November 2009. Lockwood, Sophie. Butterflies (World of Insects). Chicago: Child's World, 2007. "Migration and Overwintering." Monarch Butterfly: North America's Migrating Insect. Retrieved on 15 February 2010 from "Migratory Pollinators Program." Center for Sonoran Desert Studies, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Retrieved on 15 February 2010 from Nelson, Sara. Butterflies. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 2007. Ortho's All About Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies.

Des Moines, Iowa: Meredith Books, 2001. "Painted Lady." ENature: Field Guides. Retrieved on 7 December 2009 from Roth, Sally. Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive with Beauty on the Wing. New York: Rodale Books, 2001. Schaffer, Donna. Painted Lady Butterflies (Life Cycles). New York: Bridgestone Books, 1999. Schappert, Phillip Joseph. World for Butterflies: Their Lives, Behavior and Future. Buffalo, N.Y: Firefly Books, 2000. Stokes, Donald W., Ernest Williams, and Lillian Stokes. Butterfly Book: The Complete Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior. Boston: Little Brown, 1991. "What Is Biodiversity and Why Is It Important?" Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL).

Retrieved on 15 February 2010 from Painted Lady - English Language Tutorials You are here: Home » Animals in Language » Painted Lady painted lady {plural – ‘painted ladies’} (also known as ‘thistle butterfly’ and ‘the cosmopolitan’) a painted lady butterfly a kind of insect – colourful butterfly – a general name given to a family of butterflies – medium-sized with mostly deep orange wings with black spots and black and white corners, and some dark eye spots on the back wings; size: (in terms of wing span) 2-3 inches; feeds on (eats) the nectar of the flowers; adults live only for 2-4 weeks; several species found on all the continents of the world, except Antarctica (a painted lady, a woman who’s painted herself) Special Features: The painted lady (butterfly) is one of the most colourful butterflies, and the most wider-spread butterfly in the world (= found in many places)! The painted ladies are migratory butterflies, i.e. they fly from one place to another and back to the same place depending on the weather changes.

The students in the schools are encouraged to grow the painted ladies for observation of the life cycle of insects! For an article about the real painted lady butterfly, please click here , for an article about painted lady houses that shows us how this word is used for things other than the butterflies, please click here and for an article a real woman calling herself a painted lady, please click here . Butterfly Pollination 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Mailstop Code: 1103 Washington DC 20250-1103 Butterfly Pollination Photo by Wayne Owens. Butterflies are very active during the day and visit a variety of wildflowers. Butterflies are less efficient than bees at moving pollen between plants. Highly perched on their long thin legs, they do not pick up much pollen on their bodies and lack specialized structures for collecting it. Butterflies probe for nectar, their flight fuel, and typically favor the flat, clustered flowers that provide a landing pad and abundant rewards. Butterflies have good vision but a weak sense of smell. Unlike bees, butterflies can see red. Butterfly Flowers Butterflies are found on every continent but Antarctica. Butterflies taste with their feet.

In clusters and provide landing platforms Brightly colored (red, yellow, orange) Open during the day May be clusters of small flowers (goldenrods, Spirea) Fritillary butterflies and crescent butterfly on butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Photo by Rhonda Stewart. Female Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly (Battus philenor) on Echinacea purpurea. Photo by Rhonda Stewart. Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite). Photo by Grant Lau. Pale Swallowtail butterfly (Papilio eurymedon) on columbine (Aquilegia sp.). Photo by Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui). Photo by Ken DeCamp. Pine White Butterfly on sneezeweed. Photo by Ken DeCamp. Fun Fact Many butterflies produce scents that attract the opposite sex. Many of these scents often smell like the flowers that they are attracted to and visit. The scent of these butterfly-pollinated flowers might have evolved as an adaptation that made use of the existing attractiveness of these scents.

Butterfly Checklists The Forest Service Eastern Region developed checklists of butterfly species that may be found on the national forests and grasslands of the northeastern United States. Butterfly Questions and Answers - NABA Miami Blue Fund Butterfly Questions and Answers Because of the number of questions asked of us, and our small volunteer staff, for the most part we cannot respond individually to your queries, but if a number of people pose the same question, we will post the answer on this page. If you don't find the answer to your question below, please e-mail it to us at naba@naba.org , remembering that for the most part we cannot respond individually. What is the difference between a butterfly and a moth? Butterflies and moths are evolutionarily related group of insects, called lepidoptera, that share many characteristics, including having wings covered with scales. The word lepidoptera means scaly (lepido) winged (ptera). There are many families of moths and butterflies within the lepidoptera.

Of these, we call 2 related super-families, the true butterflies (Papilionoidea) and the skippers (Hesperoidea) "butterflies." Many butterflies are very colorful and almost all butterflies are active exclusively during the day. In contrast, most moths are fairly drably colored and are active at night. But there are quite a few butterflies that are dull and quite a few moths that are brilliantly colored and fly during the daytime. A better way to distinguish moths and butterflies is to look at their antennas. Butterfly antennas are shaped somewhat like a golf club, with a long shaft that has a "club" at its end. The vast majority of moths have antennas that are either simple filaments, tapering to a point at their ends, or are very complicated structures with many cross filaments, looking somewhat like radar antennas. How many kinds of butterflies are there? There are approximately 20,000 species of butterflies in the world. About 725 species have occurred in North American north of Mexico, with about 575 of these occurring regularly in the lower 48 states of the United States, and with about 275 species occurring regularly in Canada.

Roughly 2000 species are found in Mexico. How many kinds of butterflies can I find near where I live? In most parts of the United States, you can find roughly 100 species of butterflies near your home. The number is higher in the Rio Grande Valley and some parts of the West, somewhat less in New England. As one goes northward into Canada the number decreases, while as one goes southward into Mexico the number greatly increases. How long does a butterfly live? An adult butterfly probably has an average life-span of approximately one month. In the wild, most butterflies lives are shorter than this because of the dangers provided by predators, disease, and large objects, such as automobiles. The smallest butterflies may live only a week or so, while a few butterflies, such as Monarchs, Mourning Cloaks and tropical heliconians, can live up to nine months. What kind of binoculars should I use for butterflying? The most important requirement of binoculars for butterflying is that they allow you to focus on objects (butterflies) that are close to you.

With most binoculars, if an object is closer than 12 feet away, the binoculars cannot focus properly on the object and it will appear fuzzy. Since you can approach butterflies very closely, we strongly recommend that you use binoculars that focus sharply on objects that are under 6 feet away. Please Binoculars for Butterflying for more information on this topic. What is the origin of the word "butterfly." No one really knows the origin of this word. It is possible that it arose from the butter-yellow color of common European butterflies called sulphurs. Where do butterflies spend the night? At night, or during inclement weather, most butterflies perch on the underside of a leaf, crawl deep between blades of grass or into a crevice in rocks, or find some other shelter, and sleep. How do butterflies spend the winter? In areas where temperatures drop below freezing during part of the winter, at least one stage in a butterfly species' life cycle must be resistant to freezing if the species is resident. Most butterflies that live in cold climates spend the winter as caterpillars, while almost as many spend the winter as pupas.

A few species, mainly tortoiseshells (Nymphalis) and anglewings (Polygonia), spend the winter as adults, hibernating in holes in trees, in crevices in man-made structures, or in other shelters. A very few species spend the winter as eggs. Do butterfly boxes work? Unfortunately, no. While so-called butterfly boxes can be attractive, and do little harm, studies have shown that butterflies do not use them in any way. What do butterflies eat? Most adult butterflies drink nectar from flowers through their tongues, which function much like straws. A minority of butterflies almost never visits flowers, instead gaining sustenance from tree sap, rotting animal matter, and other organic material. Butterfly caterpillars almost all eat plant matter. Mainly the caterpillars eat leaves, but some species eat seeds and seed pods while others specialize on flowers. Most species will eat only a small group of related plant species -- for example Pearl Crescent caterpillars will eat species of asters. Some species, such as Gray Hairstreaks, will eat a wide variety of plants and some will eat only a single plant species.

Although they eat plants, very few butterfly caterpillars are agricultural pests and if caterpillars are destroying some of your garden plants, it is unlikely that they are butterflies (unless you planted those plants specifically to attract butterflies). The caterpillar of one North American butterfly,the Harvester, eats aphids. Do butterflies migrate? Yes. Many butterflies that spend the summer in temperate North America cannot survive northern winters. Each year, as the weather becomes warmer, butterflies from Mexico and the southern United States fly north to repopulate these regions. Species that move northward each year include Cloudless Sulphur, Little Yellow, Gulf Fritillary, Painted Lady, American Lady, Red Admiral, Common Buckeye, Long-tailed Skipper, Clouded Skipper, Fiery Skipper, Sachem, and Ocola Skipper. For most species these northward dispersals are gradual, but, in especially good years, one can see Painted Ladies, Cloudless Sulphurs or Clouded Skippers streaming northward along migratory routes. For some species the reverse migration, south in the fall, is more obvious.

Cloudless Sulphurs, Mourning Cloaks, Question Marks, and especially Queens and Monarchs can sometimes be found moving southward in groups of thousands. Exactly where all of these butterflies go is not known. Monarchs are the most well-known of migratory butterflies. But even here our knowledge is limited. We know that most of the Monarchs from west of the Rocky Mountains spend the winter along the California coast while those from central North America spend the winter in roosts in the mountains of central Mexico. But what about the Monarchs from the Atlantic seaboard? Although it seems that many of them also migrate to the same Mexican mountain overwintering sites, others may travel to, and through, Florida, perhaps flying on to undiscovered sites in the Caribbean and/or the Yucatan Peninsula. On the other hand, perhaps northern Monarchs that enter the peninsula don't survive the winter and, for them, Florida is a dead end. Some Monarchs do seem to overwinter in Florida, but these may be largely members of resident, non-migratory, populations. At this point, we just don't know. Where do butterflies lay their eggs?

Most butterflies lay their eggs on plants that will be eaten by the caterpillar, when it hatches. Some species lay their eggs on the tops of leafs, some on the bottom, some at the leaf axils, some on flowers, and some on stalks. Which species do which is not known in all cases. Watch butterflies carefully and you could make a real contribution to our knowledge. What is wrong with releasing butterflies at weddings and other events? This well-meaning but misguided practice spreads diseases to natural populations, inappropriately mixes genetically distinct populations of the same species, may disrupt migratory behavior of native butterflies, confuses scientific studies of butterfly migrations, and usually results in the untimely death of the butterflies released. Please see Butterflies at Weddings for more about this subject. I bought my child a Painted Lady kit, now the butterfly has emerged but it is still freezing outside. What should I do? The best thing to do at this point is to keep the butterfly inside in a small enclosure. Try feeding it from a sponge impregnated with sugar-water. But, the important thing to remember for the future is not to buy butterflies.

Releasing commercially-raised butterflies into the environment is well-meaning, but misguided (see above), while keeping the wild butterfly in your home is not a satisfying experience for most people (not to mention the butterfly). Far better to take your child out to any natural area and search for wild butterflies and caterpillars, which are easily found in most areas. Do butterflies have a sense of smell? Yes, they have chemoreceptors at the ends of their antennas and on the bottoms of their "feet!" BBC Nature - Radar helps solve painted lady migration mystery Radar helps solve painted lady migration mystery By Matt Bardo Reporter, BBC Nature Butterflies spread in hot summers The mystery of an annual disappearance of a UK butterfly has been solved, scientists say after tracking the painted lady's migration on radar. They found that the butterflies do not die in this country at the end of summer, as some believed, but make a high altitude escape south - one leg of a 9,000-mile migration. The team analysed 60,000 sightings from British observers for the study. The discoveries are "astonishing", says Richard Fox, a co-author on the paper.

The findings are based on data from 2009 and published in the journal Ecography . It was known that painted ladies come to the UK from Europe to breed. But this study is the first to explain where the butterflies go as the cold weather approaches later in the year, said Richard Fox, surveys manager for Butterfly Conservation. Meet the amazing travelling painted lady butterfly "The question was 'why don't we see them?'. We see birds migrating southwards, we see red admiral butterflies migrating southwards which are really close relatives of painted ladies. So the fact that we're not seeing painted ladies going southwards, does that mean they're not doing it?" "The radar element of this study has given us an answer to that," Mr Fox told BBC Nature. "They are going southwards but they're doing it out of human eyesight, up in the sky." The butterflies travelled at altitudes of over 1,000m but would descend to benefit from favourable winds, the study found. The findings debunk one theory, called the "Pied Piper hypothesis". That suggests that painted ladies come to UK to "just sit around in Britain hoping that it's the promised land and suddenly find winter comes and they all die", according to Mr Fox.

"The apparent lack of a return migration of the late-summer generation of painted lady butterflies was one of the greatest enigmas in insect migration ecology," said Dr Jason Chapman, a researcher at Rothamsted Research, Hertfordshire, the longest running agricultural research station in the world. "But through a combination of traditional monitoring by butterfly enthusiasts and new radar techniques we have finally solved this long-standing puzzle," he said. Deposed monarch The project combined the citizen science of "thousands and thousands" of eyes on the ground, from the "fringes of the Arctic circle" to sub-Saharan Africa, with high altitude insect-monitoring radar. It was these two working together that enabled the team to make the breakthrough, said Mr Fox. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote This tiny creature weighing less than a gram, with a brain the size of a pin head, and no opportunity to learn from older, experienced individuals, undertake an epic intercontinental migration” End Quote Richard Fox, survey manager, Butterfly Conservation The radar element of the study was led in the UK by Rothamsted Research.

It showed that the butterflies flew at an average height of over 500 metres on their way south, reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour (48km/h) in favourable winds. These images showed 11 million painted ladies entered the UK at high altitude in spring 2009. Twenty six million were counted departing in the autumn. Using data from 60 different study sites on the way, the study aimed to plot the migration route taken by painted ladies. It found that it could take up to six successive generations for the species to complete a 9,000-mile (14,400km) round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle. For each new generation, the butterflies must find plants for their caterpillars to eat, and that is thought to be behind their need to keep moving. The journey is much longer than that undertaken by the famous Monarch butterfly, which migrates between Mexico and Canada. "The migration of the monarch in North America is kind of world famous as this of wonder of nature and yet this annual migratory movement that painted ladies are undertaking is even greater," said Mr Fox.

"So we've kind of got this amazing creature right under our noses without really realising," he said. "This tiny creature weighing less than a gram, with a brain the size of a pin head, and no opportunity to learn from older, experienced individuals, undertake an epic intercontinental migration." More on This Story

Question: What type of creature is a Painted Lady?
Answer: Butterfly.